Stationery rack



June 10, 1952 D. M. STEWART STATIONERY RACK Filed July 27, 1950 .UVVENTOR.

DEZOR/S M STE war-e7,

rap/k5 x5.

Patented June 10, 1952 STATIONERY RACK Deloris M. Stewart, Shelbyville, Ind.

Application my 27, 1950, Serial No. 176,092

2 Claims. (01. 211-116) This invention relates to a stationery rack for application to a typewriter desk. It is an object of the invention to provide a rack which will hold a supply of stationery in a position readily accessible to the typewriter operator. Another object of the invention is to provide a stationery rack which can be moved into and retained in an inconspicuous position when not in use. Still another object of the invention is to provide a stationery rack which can be applied to the extensible shelf of a typewriter desk and which, when not in use, can be positioned in respect to such shelf as not to interfere with the retraction thereof into the desk.

In carrying out my invention, I form the stationery rack as a box-like structure divided interiorly by partitions into open-sided compartments. Such rack is hinged or otherwise connected to the outer end of the typewriter-supporting shelf of a typewriter desk in such a position that it may hang downwardly with its compartments open at the top. The stationery rack is swingable into a generally horizontal position beneath the typewriter shelf, and means are provided for releasably retaining it in such position.

The accompanying drawing illustrates the invention: Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a typewriter-supporting shelf of a typewriter desk showing the stationery rack in retracted position in full lines and in operative position in dotted lines; Fig. 2 is a fragmental isometric view of the outer end of the typewriter shelf showing the stationery rack in operative position.

Many typewriter desks are provided with a retractable typewriter-supporting shelf supported from the desk in such manner that it can be moved between retracted and extended positions. In the retracted position, it and the typewriter it supports are contained within a compartment in the desk, while in extended position the shelf extends horizontaly outwardly from the desk supporting the typewriter for operation. In embodying the invention of this application in such a desk, I provide a stationery rack designated in its entirety by the reference numeral ll. Such rack, which can be made of any appropriate material, preferably comprises a rear wall l2, a front wall [3, end walls M, a bottom wall [5, and one or more partitions l6 which divide the rack into upwardly opening compartments. The length of the rack between the end walls 14 is desirably I slightly greater than the length of the longest stationery which is to be used in the rack, while the compartments are, as shown, desirably of different depths to accommodate different widths of stationery and envelopes. Where a plurality of compartments are provided for paper of the same width, fillers I! of graduated height may be provided at the bottoms of the compartments. With such fillers, the upper edges of the sheets in different compartments will be at different elevations, and selection and withdrawal of the desired type of sheet will be thereby facilitated.

In the construction shown in the drawing, the stationery rack II is attached to the shelf ID by means of a pair of leaf hinges 20 each having one leaf secured to the rear wall l2 of the rack and its other leaf secured to the outer face of the flange 2| with which typewriter-supporting shelves are commonly provided. The arrangement of the hinges 20 is such as to permit the rack to move between the generally horizontal retracted position shown in full lines in Fig. 1 and the generally vertical operative position shown in full lines in Fig. 2 and in dotted lines in Fig. 1. In the latter position, the rack may simply hang downwardly from the hinges 20 under the influence of gravity.

Appropriate means is provided for releasably retaining the rack in the retracted full-line position shown in Fig. 1. As illustrated in the drawing, such means takes the form of a spring finger 25 secured to the lower surface of the shelf l0 and adapted to engage an abutment 26 mounted on the bottom wall of the rack ll.

When the rack is not in use, it may beheld in the retracted position by engagement of the spring finger 25 with the abutment 26. In this retracted position, the rack lies horizontal closely beneath the shelf, where it does not interfere with reception of the shelf in the typewriter compartment of the desk. With the rack in this retracted position, the stationery is supported horizontaly and hence tends to lie flat. If it is not desired to use the rack when the typewritersupporting shelf is extended, the rack may be retained in its retracted position; but if it is desired to use the rack, the spring finger 25 is moved out of engagement with the abutment 26, thus permitting the rack to swing into operative position where the stationery it contains is readily accessible to the typewriter-operator.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination with the projecting typewriter-supporting shelf of a desk, a stationery rack, means hingedly connecting said rack at its top to the outer end of the shelf, whereby the rack is adapted to hang under the influence of 3 gravity in a generally vertical position, parallel, generally vertical partitions dividing said rack into compartments, an abutment near the bottom of the rack, said rack being swingable into a generally horizontal retracted. position beneath said shelf, and a releasable latch mounted on said shelf for engaging said abutment and retaining the rack in retracted position.

2. In combination with the projecting typewriter-supporting shelf of a desk, 2, stationery rack, means hingedly connecting said rack at its top to the outer end of the shelf, whereby the rack is adapted to hang under the influence of gravity in a generally vertical position, parallel, generally vertical partitions dividing said rack into compartments, said rack being swingable into a generally horizontal retracted position beneath said shelf, and a releasable latch device 4 on said shelf for retaining the rack in retracted The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 116,036 Hearn, Jr. June 27, 1871 581,238 Mautz Apr. 20, 1897 1,894,334 Xavier Jan. 17, 1933 2,107,404 Wilkin Feb. 8, 1938 2,182,026 Link Dec. 5, 1939 2,278,011 Murdock Mar. 31, 1942 2,492,697 Higley Dec. 27, 1949 

